Boxing: Genie tags go in honour of dead

By Peter Jessup

South African Justice "Genie" Ganiza is the republic's version of Britain's Prince Haseem but there will be no flamboyance when Ganiza takes on local tyro Sean Sullivan in Auckland tonight because he has suffered a double family bereavement.

Ganiza's older sister Christine, 43, was killed when cycling near the family's Cape Town home this month and his commitments meant he hasn't been home to grieve with the family. That came hard after the death of brother Jewel (43) from a mystery illness three months ago.

And the bad luck that befalls some makes you wonder why lightning often strikes in the same place. Tonight's bout is Ganiza's fourth after a break of two years during which he nursed his mother Martha out of this world thanks to cancer.

So tonight he's dropped the headgear and other accoutrements of the Genie label to concentrate on his work, determined to notch a victory as a mark of respect for the dead.

"If Sean's as good and as strong as they say he is it might go six rounds," Ganiza said yesterday of tonight's scheduled 10-round contest at the Downtown Convention Centre.

"The genie is part of the entertainment but this is straight business - back to basics. Sean might have to pay for something he didn't do."

Told of Ganiza's confident claim, Sullivan laughed and promised he'd fight like he always does, coming out hard and fast and keeping it that way.

"I'm fit and I'm ready and if he wants a fight in a phone booth he'll get it," the Mangere police youth worker said.

Ganiza, age 26, 70kg and 176cm in height, has a record of 14-5-4. He's only been stopped once and that was due to a cut, something Sullivan is keen to rectify.

He is known as a power puncher who likes to lay on heavy body shots but has KO'd Pan Asia Boxing Association champ Nik Taumafai and Australia's former junior middleweight champ and top-10 WBA-rated Brian Williams.

The pair met in Sydney two years ago when Sullivan downed Shannon Taylor and Ganiza did over Williams. He knows a lot about Sullivan and has always wanted to fight him.

Ganiza's trainer, Brendon Smith from the Charlton Team in Toowoomba, last came to New Zealand with Brandon Wood, who Sullivan beat in a points decision. "This is the secret weapon," he said of Ganiza.

Smith hopes Sullivan fights his usual fight, coming forward constantly swinging. "We pray he does that because he'll walk right into everything we want to give him. Unfortunately for him his technique will be a disadvantage this time."

Sullivan, who has a tough assignment every day in the work he does with disadvantaged, at risk and troubled kids and their families, isn't phased. "So he's a cocky bugger, eh? I'll be there to fight so I'm glad he won't be running away."

On the undercard, former Commonwealth Games rep Faii Falemoe has his fourth pro-fight against Tauele Masilisi, who has gone down in close points decisions to former NZ heavyweight titleholders Lindsay Christensen and Toakipa Tasefa.

NZ super middleweight champ Sam Leuii seeks a second victory over Lightning Lupe in the cruiserweight division after beating him in five rounds in late 1997.

PABA super middleweight champ Mike Makata fights Wellington's Tauvela Ioane and Peter Mokomoko comes back for another attempt at Rico Chong Nee after losing his pro debut, the action to start at 7.30 pm.

Heavyweight David Tua will be at ringside and flies back to his Florida base at Vero Beach on Sunday ahead of his next bout on October 23.